The Lee County Department of Transportation is currently looking at a popular intersection in South Fort Myers — the “T” intersection at Plantation Road and Crystal Drive — as it is one of the few intersections in Lee County that currently has a greater amount of traffic flow than it did in the “boom years,” reports ABC 7.
Our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers urge community leaders to take a better look at the traffic on our roadways in an attempt to increase driver safety. A lot of factors go into the cause of an accident and an overflow of unorganized traffic can be a common contributor.
The traffic at this intersection is believed to be up nearly 30 percent from just two years ago — to more than 12,000 vehicles a day. We understand that this number will only increase as more drivers become aware of this back route. The overflow in traffic in this area has caught the attention of community leaders as they’re discussing a plan that could possibly change the layout of the popular South Fort Myers intersection.
While construction goes on to better equip our busy roadways to handle the increasing amount of Southwest Florida traffic, drivers must practice cautious driving habits while traveling through these work zones. A recent motor vehicle accident on Santa Barbara caused by warning lights that weren’t working is just one local lawsuit stemming from dangerous or defective roads or roads that are under construction. The suit, filed by the driver of the passenger vehicle, is against the construction company for alleged negligence and failure to provide safe traffic direction during the road-widening project in East Naples.
These incidents come right after a week when work zone safety was promoted nationwide through the National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week event. Florida joined the nation in raising awareness, as our state suffered 100 of the 700 work zone fatalities resulting from motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2009.
The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse provides these driver tips to help increase safety for everyone in our work zones:
-Put away all distractions while passing through a work zone. Distracted driving only increases your risk for an accident.
-Stay alert and expect the unexpected. Workers, other vehicles and construction equipment can seemingly pop out of nowhere.
-Obey all posted street signs and road flaggers. The warnings are posted and displayed to help keep you safe. Knowing and understanding the rules for work zones will only help keep you safe.
-Be patient and allow yourself extra time. If you know your trip is going to take you through a work zone, leave early to allow yourself more time to make it through the congestion or avoid the route all together and find another way to your destination.
-Don’t tailgate. Following too closely proves as dangerous in these situations as unexpected maneuvers by other vehicles are more common.
If you’ve experienced a motor vehicle accident in one of these congested areas, consulting an attorney as soon as possible is your best bet. An experienced attorney will be much more familiar with possible issues that could impact your case. Faulty roads, missing or inoperable street signs and signals, overgrown vegetation and poor drainage are just a few causes that may contribute to a car accident in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres or elsewhere in South Florida.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, is a law firm committed to representing car accident victims throughout South Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers, Sebring and Cape Coral. Call for a free and confidential appointment at 1-800-283-2900.